Sizing machine



Patented Sept., ld, 1925. 4"?"11 STATES @Allildl wlll'il.

W'ILLIAM Gr. IPRICE, OF YAKIMA, VfASHING-TON.

SIZING MACHINE.

Application filed November 27, 1923. Serial No. 677,290.

My invention relates to a fruit or other adapted to engage the cam-lever 2O pivoted article sizing machine and has reference to the tosser trame 21. The cam-lever 20 is more particularly to certainv improvements pivoted to the tie-rod 22 and said tie-rod is to the machine shown in Letters Patent of pivot-ed to the cup-arm 23, said cup-arm in 60 the United States, 1,288,184 and 1,325,909 turn being pivoted to the tosser-i'rame 26. heretofore granted to me. The cup-arm has an extension 27 to which ln the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a is attached the spring 28, which in turn is plan view of my improved machine; Fig. 2 attached to the t'osser-rame by the adjustis a side elevational view; Fig. 3 is an ening-nut 29.

lo larged longitudinal sectional view showing A buffer 30 is provided to take care of the the outer end ot the conveyor and the throwreturn shock of the tossing-cup 8, said buffer ing cup; Fig 4 is a section on the line 4 4, comprising two pinching fingers 31 prefer-- Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, ably made of hardwood, which are pivoted 1, and Fig. 6 is a detail of the lower at 32, and said lingers are limited in their 7o butler. movement toward each other by the stop ln the drawing the numeral 1 designates a 33. The bolt- 34 and the spring 35 limit the i suit-able sorting table, 2 the tossing machine movement of the lingers 31 away from each trame, 3 the catcher-trame, and 4 theyreceivother and provide means tor the adjustment ing bins, all as comprised in my patents or" the pressure ot the lingers 31 against the 75 zo above set forth. cup-arm 25. rlhe cup-arm is shown in The numeral 5 indicates a suitable receivsection between the pieces 3l at Fig. 6. ing hopper from which the articles to be lTheupper briller-block 37 which is adapted sized are delivered to the sorting tabl-le. to reduce the shock of the upward travel oit lllhile my invention is not limited to the the tossing-cup is U-shaped, and is secured se 25 sizing of fruit, l will for convenience use to the tosserdrame 2 by the bolt 88. A that term in describing the invention. strap 39 of leather or other suitable material Moving belts 6 are provided trom which is secured to the butter-block 87, guiding the fruit is sorted by hand and delivered to lugs 40 being provided for said strap to hold the chain feeding-belt 7 which carries the it in position. The strap 39 is held taut by et sorted fruit to the tossing-cup 8. The chain the springs 41 and 42 which are attached tn feeding-belt 7 is driven in the following the tosser-frame by screw-eyes 43. manner; an electric motor 9 drives the belt The catching-trame carries the inclined 10 which drives the pulley 11 attached to flexible catching chutes 44 made ot canvas the shalt 12. The shaft 12 carries the 6- or other suitable material, which are in 90 tooth sprocket 13 which drives the feed-belt olined to discharge alternately in opposite A pulley 14 on the shaft 12 drives the directions, and are spaced apart as indicated i. belt 15 which drives the shaft 16 carrying in Fig. 2. The tops 0i the chutes 44 which pulleys 17, which in turn drive the sortingare open to receive the fruit, are rigidly belts 6. connected by nails or other suitable tasteu- 95 rllhe chain feedingdoelt 7 is provided with ing devices to the frame 3 through the the curved lugs 18 which deliver the fruit Straps 45. Ving-pieces of canvas 46 are one by one to the tossing cup 8, said lugs sewed to the top edges of the chutes 44 and being curved in a direction opposed to the are supported by straps 47 which pass over movement of the belt so that said lugs act the top ot the trame 3, and are attached to 100 to roll the Jfruit along, the backwardly the springs 48 which are connectedto screwcurved and sloping lug tending tol work beeyes 49 in the frame 3. neath the fruit, lthus carrying a portion of A plurality of pins 50 in the top ot the its weight, and relievingl it ot any rictional frame 8 provide means for adjusting the binding engagement with the walls oit the straps 47 to different positions, and conse- 105 50 guide as it is moved along by the conveyor, quently the tops of the wings 46 in order to and d,the rolling movement thus imparted to vary the inlets to the chutes 44 whereby the the ruit exposing practically the entire quantity and size of the fruit which will tal-l surface of' the fruit in order to permit-the into any one of the bins, may be varied. sorter to see whether'the fruit bears any im The receiving bins 4 are provided with as 11G 55 pertectionsor worm-holes.- i 1 4 many pockets 5l as there are discharging The .shaft 1.2 Carries the carn'lQfwhch'is chutes. Y r f j i receiving position, and one piece of Yiruit The curtain 52 stops the flight of the va rious small pieces ot trait and causes them to Jfall into the chute at the foot ot" said curtain. i y

In the operation of the machine the fruit is piched by the sorters from the sorting table and placed in position to be picled up by one oil the curved lugs "i8 on the ieedchain, and as stated above, the sprocket Wheel 'i3 has sin' lugs which engage the sprocket-chain l' `and the curved lug'" are spaced sin iinl'zs apart, and as only one piece oi fruit is carried by each lug le, the tossing-cup l@ is pulled. dovvir to its ltr-uit Was dropped into the cup and aniinterval of time allowed for the fruit to settle in the cupbetore the cup was released by the cam to toss it. rilhis method caused a s-lov7 operation ott the-machine as only about eighty pieces ot fruit could be sized per minute. By usingonly one cam and ruiming' the shaft l2 at a speed of 160 revolutionsper minute, 160 pieces of fruit such as apples, peaches and pears, are discharged by the lugs 1S at high speed into the cup. The cam 19 is adjusted to release the lever 20, and consequently the cup, the same instant that the apple strikes the cup, and this construction enables the increase in sorting capacity above set torth.

The lingers 3l oit the lower buffer 30 pinch the cup-arm as it is swinging `down to the'position for receiving the fruit, and theJ resultingtriction between the buffer and the cup-arm prevents said cup-army and cup from vibrating and holds it motionless `and always at precisely the same. height orlocation when receiving the fruit Which is nec` essary to secure accurate sizing.

The upper buffer 37 stops the upward swing of the cup-arm and cup when the cupl is pulled up by the spring- 28. rThe cup-arm strikes the leather straps 39 Vwhich are stressed by the springs il and-Zand the resistance of these springs `and the friction of the leather strap around the end of the Ushaped butter-block 37, checksan'd sto-ps the upward swing of thecup and arm-With` out jarring, and 'With practically nfonoise. In order to lmalte such a icuii-lerl operate Without jarring, it is necessary to-V use- Weak springs 42, but if these weal.;springs-` LLZiare attached directly-to the ends of the leather strap"v 39, the jerk en the strap prodi'ice t'helcuplalm striking'rit,1 might` tondi-to tir' the springs 42, and accordingly it hasfb'een of' successively decreasinb found advisable to relieve the part of the shock on 'the Weak springs 42 by inserting onevor more progressively stronger springs 4l between the springs 42 and the leatherv strap 39.

lnmy patented sizing machine above reierred to, the canvas catching chutes la were sapporte'd by springs and these springs were necessarily strong enough to sup-portl the tops of the chu-tes in aV horizontal position. Springs strong enough tosupport the chutes were also soA strong that their resilient action 1 would frequently throw a piece of fruit Whenitstruckl near the yupper edge of chute in a reverse direction into another chuteivh-ich caused inaccurate sizing. To overcome this defect in the present invention, l have securely tastened t-hetops oi the chutes ala to thet'rame 3 bymeansioi' connecting strapsA- Whchare nailed tothe trame I 'l-heisprings` i8V connected to the Wings i6 areonly strongl enough to hold the top edge of thewings in a horizontal line and have not sufficient resilient action to toss any fruitstriking said Wings into the Wrong chute.

iiilhat l claim is l; In a sizing machine, the combination of an oscillatory tossing-cup, an arm connected to said cup, means for oscillating, said cup, and a butlerv for-the arm of said cup adapted to check the vibrationsA of the cup comprising retardingmeans Afor frio tionally engagingvvith said arm.

In a sizing` machine, 'the combination oit an oscillatory tossing-cup, an arinconnected to said cup,v means for oscillating said cup, and a 'buiier adaptedto check the vibrations of said cup, said butler compris ing the two arms arranged for frictionally engaging With said {irst arm from opposite sides thereof.y x

in a sizing, machine, the combination of an oscillatory tossing cup7 an arm con nected to said cup, means for voscillating said cup, and a lower buier adapted to' check the vibrations of said cup, saidfbuiier comprising spring actuated pinching finge-rs.

4;. ln sizing'apparatus, the combina-tion of an oscillatory tossing-cup, means for oscillating said cup, an arm'connected to said cup, an upper buffer in the patliofsaid arm comprising a. Ushapedbuffer blocl'z, a.

flexible strap-member, and springs connected to said strap-member.

lnv va sizingmachine the combination of an yoscillatory tossing-cup;means-for os-l cillating said cup,- an anni connected to said cup, an` upper-buffer` iiir theL path foil said arm, said lbuiifercoi-uprising a= U-shaped block, afiieXib'l/ef4 Strapeineinber engaging' saidibloclt, anda plurali y; it

iso

6. In a sizing machine, the combination of a tossing-cup, a supporting frame, eatehei' chutes rigidly supported lon said frame, Wings attached to the tops of said chutes, the tops of said Wings bein flexibly supported on said frame, and means for adjusting the tops of said Wings in different posi'- tions on said frame.

7. In a sizing machine, the combination of a tossing-cup, a supporting frame, catcher chutes supported on said frame, Wings, straps connected to said Wings and engaging said frame, and springs connected to said straps and to said frame.

8. 1n a sizing machine, the vcombination WILLIAM Gr. PRCE. 

